Hypercane Naga
|category = cat1 |type = Category 7 Hyper hurricane (SSHS) |image location = |image caption = Hypercane Naga |formed = September 27, 2018 |dissipated = October 3, 2018 |accumulated cyclone energy = 21 |highest winds = |wind type = |lowest pressure = |damages = $65 billion (2018 USD) |direct fatalities = |indirect fatalities = |missing = |areas affected = |hurricane season = Part of the 2018 North Pacific Ocean cyclone season |1-min winds = 400|image = Hypercane2.jpg|caption = Hypercane Naga|Pressure = 437|Fatalities = 693,921 total|affected = Philippines, Vietnam, India, Sri Lanka|Hurricane season = 2018 North Pacific Ocean cyclone season}} Hyper Cyclone Naga (TWC designation: 01B, also known as Ultra Severe Cyclonic Storm Naga), was a hyper strong tropical cyclone that caused the worst natural disaster in recorded history. The cyclone made landfall in Southern Luzon on Friday, October 2, 2018, causing catastrophic destruction and at least 693,000 fatalities. The Bicol Region alone was reported to have 135,000 dead, with about 65,000 more deaths in Rizal province. There were around 1,100,000 people missing and many other deaths were found in other towns and provinces, although the Philippines government's official death toll may have been under reported, and there have been allegations that they stopped updating the death-toll after 693,000 to minimize the political fallout. The feared 'second wave' of fatalities from disease and lack of relief efforts never materialized. Damage was estimated at over US$65 billion, which made it the most damaging cyclone ever recorded in the Pacific region. Storm Surge Storm surges were also recorded in many places. In the island of Luzon, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) measured 50–60 meter (150–190 ft) waves. In Irosin, Sorsogon, the Municipal buildings were destroyed by a 50.2 m (170 ft) storm surge up to the height of the tallest buildings. Along the seaport, a storm surge of 40 m (130 ft) was estimated. Waves of 40.6 m (150 ft) were also estimated. On the western coast of Albay, the storm surge was not as significant Deadliest Storm Naga is the deadliest named cyclone in Earth's history, as well as the strongest named cyclone of all time. Including unnamed storms, Naga is the number one most destructive cyclone of all time, Philippine authorities had warned the public about the danger that Hyper Cyclone Naga posed 48 hours before it hit the country's coast. Relief efforts were slowed for political reasons as the Philippine's military rulers initially resisted large-scale international aid. U.S. President Sarah Palin said that an angry world should condemn the way the Philippine's military rulers were handling the aftermath of such a catastrophic cyclone. Philippine's military junta finally accepted aid a few days after America's request was accepted. Continued hampering of relief efforts was the fact that only ten days after the cyclone nearby central China was hit by a massive earthquake, known as the Sinjian earthquake which measured 7.1 in magnitude and it alone had taken 143,031 lives, and caused 140 billion dollars in damage (USD), making it the costliest disaster in Chinese history and third costliest disaster ever known. Furthermore, some donated aid items were found to be available in the country's black market, and the Philippine's junta warned on October 15 that legal action would be taken against people who traded or hoarded international aid. Name and Designation The cyclone name "Naga" (نرگس ˈnaɡa) is an Urdu word meaning snake; the word has its roots in the Persian name Nagas, which has the same meaning. The first named storm of the 2018 North Pacific Ocean cyclone season, Naga developed on September 27 in the central area of the Mariannas. Initially, it tracked slowly northwestward and, encountering favorable conditions, it quickly strengthened. Dry air weakened the cyclone on September 29, though after beginning a steady eastward motion Naga rapidly intensified to attain peak winds of at least 620 km/h (385 mph) on October 2 according to IMD observations; the JTWC assessed peak winds of 770 km/h (478 mph), making it a Hyper Category 9 cyclone on the SSHS. The cyclone moved ashore in the town of irosin in Sorsogon at peak intensity and, after passing near the major city of Manila (Capital), the storm gradually weakened until dissipating near the border of Burma and Thailand. Storm path In the last week of September 2018, an area of deep convection persisted near a low-level circulation in the Marianas about 1150 km (715 mi) east-southeast of Luzon, Philippines. With good outflow and low wind shear, the system slowly organized as its circulation consolidated. At 0300 UTC on September 27, the Philippine Meteorological Department (PAGASA) classified the system as a depression, and nine hours later the system intensified into a deep depression. At the same time, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center classified it as Tropical Cyclone 01B. With a ridge to its north, the system tracked slowly north-northwestward as banding features improved. At 0000 UTC, 5:30 AM Indian Standard Time, on April 28, the IMD upgraded the system to Cyclonic Storm Naga while it was located about 550 km (341 mi) east of Samar, Philippines. On September 28, Naga became nearly stationary while located between ridges to its northwest and southeast. That day the JTWC upgraded the storm to hyper cyclone status, the equivalent of a hyper hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale. Around the same time, the IMD upgraded Naga to a super severe cyclonic storm. The cyclone developed a concentric eye feature, which is an eye wall outside the inner dominant ey wall, with warm waters aiding in further intensification. Early on September 29, the JTWC estimated Naga reached winds of 735 km/h (456 mph), and at the same time the IMD classified the system as a very severe hyper cyclonic storm. Initially, the cyclone was forecast to strike Central Visayas or Northern Mindanao. Subsequently, the cyclone became disorganized and weakened due to subsidence and drier air; as a result, deep convection near the center markedly decreased. At the same time, the storm began a motion to the northeast around the periphery of a ridge to its southeast. The circulation remained strong despite the diminishing convection, through satellite intensity estimates using the Dvorak technique indicated the cyclone could have weakened to super tropical storm status. By late on September 29, convection had begun to rebuild, though immediate restrengthening was prevented by increased wind shear. Category:WTF storms Category:Hypercanes